Before Zhang Yang and the others, a small cloud of black mist suddenly materialized, the sounds emanating from the myriad Gu worms utterly terrifying. The old hag chasing them arrived with a countenance twisted into a ferocious snarl.

This was a vicious old woman who, knowing her fate would be grim, was intent on taking them down with her.

Faced with so many Gu worms, both Zhang Yang and Long Feng’s expressions shifted drastically. They retreated rapidly, and even Lightning bolted backward—it couldn't possibly handle such a swarm.

As Long Feng fled, he whipped his Snow Whip into a blinding flurry to fend off the advancing insects.

Zhang Yang was slightly faster, but his ears were keenly attuned to the surroundings. Any worm that drew near was instantly sliced by the Dragon-Devouring Dagger.

“Chirp chirp chirp!”

Wu Ying, who had been standing still since entering, suddenly froze, then became intensely agitated. Letting go of its small paws, it charged forward.

The Gu worms that Zhang Yang, Long Feng, and Lightning viewed as a veritable plague, Wu Ying feared not at all. It leaped onto a pair, crunched twice, and swallowed them whole.

As Wu Ying approached, the Gu worms automatically dispersed. They were living things, after all, knowing what to provoke and what to avoid. In their eyes, Wu Ying was the most fearsome entity, their natural predator.

They ran fast, but Wu Ying pursued even faster, consuming one or two with almost every snap. In no time, Wu Ying had devoured a score of various Gu worms, and the assault formation of the swarm completely shattered under Wu Ying’s disruption.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

The speeding old hag caught up to Zhang Yang, her Ghost Head Staff striking relentlessly. She was pouring every ounce of her remaining strength into the attack, utterly disregarding the toxicity emanating from the Fox-Tailed Marten. She intended to use the Gu worms in this final chance to kill Zhang Yang; if she could eliminate this genius, she could die in peace.

The old hag’s reckless fighting style truly placed Zhang Yang in considerable peril. Fortunately, Wu Ying appeared just in time to scatter the Gu worms; otherwise, he might have been overwhelmed by a single worm and suffered grievous harm.

“Squeak squeak squeak!”

Lightning, having retreated some distance, saw that the Gu worms were dispersed. After a few calls, it immediately sprang back. Its razor-sharp claws could crush the worms instantly, and its focus was now on dealing with the insects buzzing around Zhang Yang, helping him clear the immediate danger.

With the combined efforts of Wu Ying and Lightning, finally, not a single Gu worm remained near Zhang Yang, allowing him to concentrate entirely on the old hag.

Without the distraction of the swarm, Lightning was liberated and rejoined the fray, while Wu Ying darted around, hunting down the stragglers. Any it caught, it unceremoniously devoured.

These Gu worms were formidable, birthed from exceptionally cruel refinement methods. Yet, their strength proved useless against Wu Ying; instead, they became Wu Ying’s supplements. The more potent something was, the more the Treasure-Seeking Rat favored it.

As for the inherent toxins of the Gu worms, Wu Ying didn’t fear the poisons of Lightning or the Golden Crown Python, let alone these lesser parasites.

“Smack!”

Freed from the threat of the Gu worms, Long Feng also re-engaged, snapping his whip toward the old hag.

“Oof!”

The old hag grunted, dodging the strike, but was immediately seized by Wu Ying, who sank its teeth into her arm.

At that moment, Zhang Yang’s Dragon-Devouring Dagger hovered before her forehead. She dared not divert a single thread of her attention, or Zhang Yang would cleave her head from her shoulders.

“Thump!”

Having evaded the dagger, she failed to dodge Zhang Yang’s follow-up. Zhang Yang slammed a fist into her abdomen, sending her body arcing backward, bent over. Before she could regain her balance, a long Snow Whip lashed out, coiling around her instantly.

Toward this hag, Long Feng was careful not to coil her close enough to knock her unconscious, as he knew that at close range, he might be the one rendered senseless.

With a sharp twist and a throw, Long Feng slammed the old hag heavily onto the ground. Zhang Yang’s Dragon-Devouring Dagger was already upon her; heavily battered, she could no longer resist Zhang Yang.

The Dragon-Devouring Dagger tore through her left arm, the razor-sharp implement cleanly severing her limb.

Zhang Yang was already moving; after severing the arm, he kicked her, sending her flying upward to crash down onto the raised platform. Coincidentally, she landed directly on the chair she had been sitting on earlier, though the impact shattered the wood.

Long Feng stood still, and Lightning and Wu Ying ceased their movements. Wu Ying had consumed enough Gu worms; it ignored any dead ones, eating only the living. This little creature, much like Lightning, only consumed living prey.

Successively struck and having an arm severed, the old hag was barely clinging to life. Zhang Yang swiftly leaped onto her, pressing pressure points to staunch the bleeding and administering two injections. This old woman could not be allowed to die yet.

While administering the needles, Zhang Yang embedded three poison spines from the Black Iron Spider's carapace into her body—one injection. Given the depth of the hag’s inner strength, he feared a single dose might be insufficient.

Soon, the old hag’s eyes began to glaze over; she was lost in hallucination. The poison had infiltrated her brain. Coupled with the continuous fighting and successive heavy injuries, most of her inner strength was already depleted. She had failed to suppress Lightning’s poison, which was now actively taking effect. She was, quite literally, burning the last of her oil.

“Look at me!”

Zhang Yang snarled at her. The old hag unnaturally turned her head, meeting his gaze. Zhang Yang began weaving his hypnotic technique.

“How does one cure the Gu worms?”

After a moment, Zhang Yang asked directly. The old hag was powerful, and his hypnosis could not last long; he had to be quick.

“Place the flower of the Dragon-Luring Grass outside the body, then use the Gu-luring method,” the hag murmured. Zhang Yang paused slightly; what she said seemed to be the absolute truth.

Zhang Yang asked again, “Is there any other way besides this?”

“No!” the old hag replied curtly.

Zhang Yang pressed on, “Where is the Dragon-Luring Grass, and how does one obtain its flower?”

“The Dragon-Luring Grass is only found on Dragon-Luring Mountain, but I have the flower of the Dragon-Luring Grass!”

The hag spoke slowly. Zhang Yang’s eyes suddenly brightened. While the hag had been truthful moments ago, she hadn't revealed the whole truth. Since she possessed the flower, Zhang Yang wouldn't need to undertake a trip to Dragon-Luring Mountain.

“Give it to me!” Zhang Yang stated in a low voice, confident that while under his hypnosis, the hag spoke only truth.

“Hahahaha!”

The old hag suddenly erupted into a high-pitched, hysterical laugh. Her eyes still held a flicker of confusion, but now they burned with madness.

“I destroyed the Dragon-Luring Grass flower just moments ago. I knew you two brats needed it, so I won’t give it to you. I am the only one who possessed the flower here; now that I’ve ruined it, you must go to Dragon-Luring Mountain if you want it!”

The old hag shrieked wildly, and as she screamed, her eyes suddenly cleared. She snapped out of Zhang Yang’s hypnotic spell; the effect of his mesmerizing technique had worn off. Moreover, she had overcome the hallucinations caused by the poison needles. After all, she was a master of the third layer mid-stage; such minor things wouldn't subdue her easily.

Zhang Yang frowned slightly and retreated a few steps. It didn't matter that the hag had awakened; he had gotten the answers he needed. He hadn't expected her to be so maniacally protective of her possessions that she would destroy something preemptively. He believed the information revealed during the hypnosis was genuine.

“You brat, you dared use hypnosis on me!”

The old hag shrieked sharply where she lay. Upon waking, she immediately understood what had transpired. She was not Qu Meilan; her power far surpassed Qu Meilan’s.

Zhang Yang ignored her, walking over to Long Feng. He now understood the method for curing the Gu venom, though it was a pity he couldn't do it immediately; a trip to the so-called Dragon-Luring Mountain was required. Fortunately, the hag mentioned it was nearby, not far away. He hoped Wu Zhiguo could hold on.

With the Dragon-Luring Grass, they still needed the Gu-luring method, which Zhang Yang didn't know, but others did. The captured disciples here, including Qu Meilan from before, all would know; he could surely find someone who feared death enough to cooperate. If they refused, Zhang Yang wouldn't hesitate to make an example of one or two.

“Boy, even if you used hypnosis, it’s useless! The Dragon-Luring Grass flower is gone from here! You must go to Dragon-Luring Mountain! If you want to save your friend, you must go to Dragon-Luring Mountain!”

The old hag roared wildly again, but mid-shout, her voice abruptly cut off, and her head lolled to the side. She lay there, her head askew, her eyes wide open, and no longer breathing.

Lightning was no ordinary Fox-Tailed Marten; having consumed the Golden Crown Python's toxic gall bladder, it had evolved once, and its poison was now significantly stronger. If the old hag hadn't used her inner strength, she might have lasted longer, but using it only accelerated the toxin’s invasion. The poison had reached her heart; even a Great Immortal couldn't save her now.

The old hag was utterly, irrevocably dead. She died because of her own avarice; one might say she was killed by poison born from greed. A third-layer inner strength master, barring unforeseen circumstances, could easily live another eighty years. Even without reaching the fourth layer, she was a formidable presence in her region, yet now she was gone.

“Mistress!”

A relatively brave female disciple crept forward, peered at the old hag, and suddenly burst into heartbroken cries. The other female disciples rushed over as well. They were merely ordinary disciples whom the old hag had never viewed as true students, only as servants. But having been nurtured by her for so many years and taught the methods of inner strength cultivation, their bodies were far stronger than those of ordinary people. Finding her truly dead brought a wave of genuine sorrow.

“Young Master, please have mercy and allow us to bury our Mistress. Even if she erred greatly, now that the person is dead, the light is out. We beg you not to pursue her past mistakes!”

One woman suddenly knelt before Zhang Yang, weeping as she spoke. Seeing her kneel, the others followed suit.

………… Second update, returned rather late! .RT